"We're now past the halfway point, and Nearl still holds the lead! But her margin isn't as large as in previous races—less than five lengths—with Silence Suzuka clinging tightly to her heels, refusing to let up!"
"Incredible! This race has turned into a showdown between the two of them!"
The commentator heaped praise on Silence Suzuka's performance, but he couldn't see the bitterness in Suzuka's heart at that moment.
'What showdown? This isn't even a contest. I'm already pushing my absolute limit, yet the gap hasn't closed an inch. Doesn't that say it all?'
A dull ache spread through her legs, and her throat burned with each ragged breath, parched from the intense exertion. Silence Suzuka had reached her peak; she couldn't sustain this any longer.
'I've lost.'
The thought flashed through her mind the instant she began to slow.
"Silence Suzuka! Silence Suzuka is dropping back! It seems she has nothing left in the tank!"
"But Nearl shows no sign of stopping! Her pace remains as steady as ever, and the gap is widening!"
"Yeah!! Go, Nearl-nee!"
Everlamp and Kitahara Jo cheered with unrestrained joy.
'So even Suzuka couldn't catch up. Then this race is mine.'
Nearl glanced back, taking in the situation behind her, and understood everything in an instant.
'My real acceleration starts now.'
Leaning forward, she let gravity lend her speed, her stride quickening as she steadily pushed herself faster.
Thump, thump, thump!
Her hooves hammered the turf, crushing the grass beneath into pulp. The once-upright blades were trampled into mud, their sap scattering as the very earth yielded, compacting and deforming under the tremendous force before being flung backward.
It was a good thing Nearl led all the other Uma Musume by at least two lengths; anyone trailing directly behind her would have gotten a face full of mud.
Could that be considered intentional assault?
"Wow! Nearl, Nearl's speed is incredible! She's visibly pulling away from the other Uma Musume! Three lengths! Four lengths! The gap keeps growing! Is it already over? Is Nearl about to treat us to another of her stunning long-distance sprints?"
"The others are giving it their all, but it's no use—the difference in ability is just too vast. They can't close the distance!"
"Now approaching the final turn, and Nearl is utterly unstoppable!"
'Sigh, doesn't commentary like this dishearten the other runners?'
Nearl wasn't fond of such blunt assessments, but she understood it was unavoidable.
'Is this what it means when only one can be champion? The brutality of the track is beyond words.'
'In a way, public perception adds to that cruelty—fawning over the winner while ignoring the efforts of everyone else.'
"Change myself, and then change the world."
Nearl's gaze sharpened, stern and intense. The calm aura around her began to stir, like a winter sun transforming into a blazing, destructive force.
"If I can perform even better, the pressure on them will lessen. If I can become that distant, untouchable star, then their defeat will be honorable."
"So now is not the time for hesitation or pity. I must be faster, swifter, unleashing my full presence so everyone understands: it's not that they are weak, but that I am too strong."
"Margaret Nearl is ready."
Skills fully activated, her Domain blossomed forth. Golden bands of light spread beneath Nearl's feet, that radiant path once again manifesting on the track.
Straight-line Acceleration.
Whole Body, Whole Spirit.
Overwhelming Lead.
Instant Flash.
Heart of Realization.
Domain: [Near Light]
Countless techniques were deployed simultaneously, her concentrated spirit dominating the entire atmosphere. In that moment, every Uma Musume and every spectator found their senses captivated by Nearl.
Even the commentator could only gape helplessly, his mind blank, unable to form a coherent sentence.
"Terrifying. My heart's pounding with excitement."
Oguri Cap shuddered, a slight, unnerving smile playing on her lips as she trembled uncontrollably.
Her wide-eyed stare, so different from usual, was downright chilling—the gaze of a 'monster.'
"Nearl's Domain has grown even more masterful. It feels like an extension of her very limbs, unlike mine, which requires intense struggle to manifest."
"U-um, Oguri, your expression...?"
Nearby, Berno Light was so startled by Oguri Cap's face that she clung tightly to Everlamp for dear life.
"Huh...?"
At Berno Light's words, Oguri Cap's expression shifted from terrifying to blank and confused, like a watercolor painting wiped away by an eraser, leaving only a muddled, foolish look.
"Seriously, does Oguri Cap-senpai have a split personality? The change in her face is way too extreme!"
Everlamp hugged the comfort-seeking Berno Light back and quipped about Oguri Cap's bizarre shift.
"Final stretch! Nearl is far, far ahead! The gap is beyond description! Silence Suzuka is pushing hard to catch up, but the distance is just too great—it's hopeless!"
"Yet behind Silence Suzuka, the rest of the field is even further back! It's not that Silence Suzuka is weak—it's that Nearl is too strong!"
"Dammit, dammit!"
"They're too strong! Should Uma Musume like them even be in an OP race?!"
"Are we just fish in a pond to them?!"
The main pack wailed in despair. They, too, were giving their all, but Nearl's presence was like a natural disaster—no amount of grit could bridge that gap.
"My apologies, everyone. This victory is mine. And not just this one—every race I enter from now on will end the same way."
Nearl murmured these words softly as the outline of the finish line came into view up ahead.
"I'll be taking the lead now!"
"Thud!"
She accelerated once more—who knew how many times she'd done so this race? Though each burst was small, their frequency more than made up for it.
"..."
Behind her, Silence Suzuka didn't even have the presence of mind to lament. Her brain was empty, save for the vast, beautiful scenery ahead and the brilliant golden figure within it.
'Catch up... I have to catch up...'
It was the only thought in her head until an explosion of cheers from the crowd finally jolted her back to awareness.
She didn't need to think. Suzuka's eyes snapped forward. Sure enough, Nearl had already crossed the line.
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! Webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.